Day 1 down... David, I am an accountant with a TON of stress right now. Trying to keep this company open and out of bankruptcy. Any good "at your desk" poses to help me thru the day? I really appreciate this thread and you.

Day 2 of a more determined push to do the program for 30 days in a row!

I enjoy the increased focus that comes from doing the series of poses but most importantly I enjoy the decrease in anxiety (did not even realize I had that much anxiety until it left me ). Strangely (at least for me) I found that prior to doing the poses I was craving something sugary to eat and after doing the series I no longer have the craving. Are such cravings due to stress/anxiety? If so this is news to me ....

David (or anyone who is willing to assist) I did have a couple questions though:

For pose #3 - on inhale are both feet supposed to move in sync clockwise and then reverse on the exhale?

For pose #11 - Do both fists rotate one way for inhale and then the opposite way for exhale? I was not sure if the instructiosn meant do this 3 times and then reverse directions or if it meant something different.

I enjoy the increased focus that comes from doing the series of poses but most importantly I enjoy the decrease in anxiety (did not even realize I had that much anxiety until it left me ). Strangely (at least for me) I found that prior to doing the poses I was craving something sugary to eat and after doing the series I no longer have the craving. Are such cravings due to stress/anxiety? If so this is news to me ....

We all deal with stress and anxiety in different ways, but most of us do so in an unhealthy manner via self medication. Some turn to drugs, others to alcohol, and some of us (myself included) turn to food.

One of the benefits of this practice is reconnecting to our body and emotions. That which we can feel we can properly process. If we numb it out via drugs, food, or some other means of self medication, it'll simply arise another day.

For pose #3 - on inhale are both feet supposed to move in sync clockwise and then reverse on the exhale?

The clockwise stuff confuses me Try moving your feet to the right so slowly that it takes a full inhale to make a full circle to the right. Then move your feet so slowly that it takes a full exhale to move them a full circle to the left. Feel the full range of motion. Search for muscular weakness or tension. Are you tensing other areas of your body that could be relaxed? Observe yourself.

For pose #11 - Do both fists rotate one way for inhale and then the opposite way for exhale? I was not sure if the instructiosn meant do this 3 times and then reverse directions or if it meant something different.

Wow, I never realized how confusing that one is. Hahah, sorry! I have it memorized so never look at the sheet. Just do it like the feet.

I find I enjoy doing the series of posses at night as a good stress release.

Doing the poses over the next 2 days should not be a challenge, but next week is going to be very demanding at work and might require more willpower to maintain a daily frequency. Will keep you all posted .

I just found this and can't wait to get started. Firstly, thank you SO MUCH! this is exactly what i needed, in a forum that understands my limitations and issues.
I do have one specific problem - broke a shoulder a while back and i still don't have range of motion back... also I can't put much weight on my hand if i am doing an exercise that requires me to be on all fours. should i just skip those exercises? should i do arm exercises to the best of my ability even if one arm can only do 1/3 of the movement? do the 2 arms need to be symetrical or is it ok to do 1 arm the whole movement, and one arm only partial?
thank so much!!

I can make a more informed recommendation if you're willing to provide answers to any of the following:

1. How long ago did you break the shoulder?
2. What sort of break was it?
3. Has your doctor recommended you keep the arm immobilized or provided any other specific orders regarding its use?
4. What movement(s) are restricted from full range of motion?
5. Do they have you on any sort of physical therapy regimen or is that planned?
6. How old are you?

Thank you David. I am 50, have been diagnosed with Crohn's since 2000. I broke my shoulder in a fall in august (up till that point i was quite active, gym, canoeing, walking, taking care of kids etc.). Broke the top of the humeros (displaced fracture), and it was immobilized for 8 weeks (no surgery), leading to alot of stiffness and pain and restricted range of motion. i go to physio 2x a week, but it is going REAL slow. I can raise my arm forwards in front of my body only to about 75 degrees, to the side around 50 degrees, and it is very painful to put my hand behind my back. also, all my arm muscles have kind of withered away (oh, sob! all that work at the gym just vanished like it never happened!).

i do some strengthening exercises which are basically just pushing against walls. mostly i can't lift, turn the arm or do movements more than 50% of an ordinary arm - and nothing over my head.
i need yoga tho, i am going thru some VERY stressful stuff right now.

I just talked this over with my fiance who actually saw two patients with the exact same break yesterday. In her opinion, the only worse break to have is the hip, so my heart most certainly goes out to you. *hugs*

As we talked, we came to the conclusion that me stating which exercises you can and can't do would not be a good idea since there's too many variables I can't take into account without observing you. Therefore, my suggestion is to print out the .pdf attached to this thread and take it in to your physical therapist and see what they think. All the exercises that don't involve your arm will be fine, but get that in person expert opinion for those that do.

Sorry I'm not more help But do these exercises, especially if you're stressed. The 15 minutes a day will make a huge difference for you

Thanks David, that is good advice, and timely, since i have physio today! so i will get her to look over the exercises. as you say, at least i can start with the non-arm ones. do you ever recommend that people do the exercise asymmetrically (i.e. one arm moving, the other relaxed?) or is it perhaps counter-beneficial, by blocking energy paths or something?
Thanks again for the personal response! sorry to sidetrack your thread.

Due to the nature of these exercises, I feel if you can only do one arm, do just the one arm. You're not going to build massive asymmetries. I'm hoping your physical therapist approves all the exercises though as I think it will help a lot to get your range of motion back.

While you're at it, take this to your therapist as well. I'm not interested in the full pose, just you sitting or kneeling and doing the arm positions: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/785

David, I have sort of missed your program out as I was doing some other dvds. Im quite energetic. Have you got a routine where i feel I have worked out (stretching and such) yet still feel good afterwards (calmed and relaxed)

Thanks for this. I tried a yoga DVD about a year ago, but something I was doing gave me a bad back, so it put me off.

Today was day 1 of your programme and it was just right. Some of it is more difficult than it looks, especially No. 14 for me! I have had a stiff neck, which is prone to seizing up, for years, so I'm hoping going gently on the last few exercises will help to free that up a bit.

A couple of the exercises make me cough just a little (No.s 6 and 16). I'm hoping this is a good sign, but was wondering why this happens.

Also, how long would you expect it all to take? I did each exercise 7 times (7 times each way where relevant) and it took me about 45 mins. Does that sound about right, or too slow/fast? It's hard to tell without someone else telling you how fast/slow to go!

I was only diagnosed in November 2011, and so hoping to put a positive spin on this wake-up call I'm putting myself first and aiming to sort out my life one bit at a time, starting with my body (and head) first. Thanks for all the advice, I've found this forum so supportive and encouraging. Keep up the good work, it's greatly appreciated.

David, I have sort of missed your program out as I was doing some other dvds. Im quite energetic. Have you got a routine where i feel I have worked out (stretching and such) yet still feel good afterwards (calmed and relaxed)

I wouldn't feel comfortable providing something more intense without being able to work with you in person, sorry

Today was day 1 of your programme and it was just right. Some of it is more difficult than it looks, especially No. 14 for me! I have had a stiff neck, which is prone to seizing up, for years, so I'm hoping going gently on the last few exercises will help to free that up a bit.

A couple of the exercises make me cough just a little (No.s 6 and 16). I'm hoping this is a good sign, but was wondering why this happens.

Also, how long would you expect it all to take? I did each exercise 7 times (7 times each way where relevant) and it took me about 45 mins.

Hi Nitty, I'm glad you're enjoying the series It's the difficult poses that, if we stick with and do correctly, help us the most. In my opinion, asana is not only for keeping everything working right, but helping us find areas we need to focus and heal. Keep delving into what is weak or injured that causes that movement to be so difficult. Continually ask yourself what other movements might help that area heal and experiment.

As you learn the poses and don't have to continually look at the paper, that'll help things speed up. 45 minutes is quite a long time for this series based upon my experience, but that means you're really taking your time and I'll never tell anyone to speed up as slowing down and breathing deep is a huge part of the benefit. It personally takes me about 20 minutes but maybe I should slow down more and let your experience inspire me

Thank you David, I wanted to get back into Yoga, but wasn't sure where to start. Right now I have a drain in for an abscess in my abdomen, so I don't want to do anything that moves that around right now, but the feet, arms and neck look good. Thanks for a simple routine. Keep teaching us. Thanks again!

would this be ok for someone with ankylosing spondilitis i'm so sore from it i'm a bit scared to try the yoga AS is form of arthritis brought on by crohn's and lucky for me i got it also does this help stress and no sleep sorry but I skimmed the thread as I'm trying to sleep but can't

and is it ok to do it on a rug on a wooden floor as I have no mat and cash is a bit tight at the moment

would this be ok for someone with ankylosing spondilitis i'm so sore from it i'm a bit scared to try the yoga AS is form of arthritis brought on by crohn's and lucky for me i got it also does this help stress and no sleep sorry but I skimmed the thread as I'm trying to sleep but can't

There are far too many variables involved for me to say for sure. For example, it would be dependent upon how progressed your AS is, how it specifically manifests in your body, and much more. My guess is that MOST of these exercises should be fine but I would suggest printing out the .PDF and taking them to your doctor or physical therapist (if you have one) and asking if they suggest not doing any. And if they do suggest not doing any, please ask why and share that information here

That's great Michele! Are you able to describe any positive or negative affects you can attribute to the sequence?

Answering your question David: the number one thing is that it relaxes me and I enjoy it. I find myself breathing more evenly. My joints don't hurt as much thank goodness. I haven't run across any down side or any snags or anything. When I first started, my lower back bothered me but I was doing the pose incorrectly! When I corrected the mistake, no more twingy feeling in my back.

Tried the sequence for the first time last night. I did it in a chair for now and avoided the abdominal movement as I have been having pain in my abdominal area and want to let it heal. I might try to add them in later. I enjoyed the sequence. I am a Physical Therapist Assistant and the only thing you might want to mention is posture with these, especially the arm and neck sequence. I notice when I put my arms up that I sometimes would use my upper traps some instead of the lower/mid traps. So just remind people to keep their shoulders down. I will do it again tonight before bed. Thanks again David.

Hi David
I was one of the thorns in your side last year in bringing out a yoga dvd and I have to say this is a brilliant idea, I unfortunately am not managing daily sessions but a couple of times a week (two children under 4, time is like gold dust) but I have seen some very positive results, I strained a muscle in my lower right leg about a week before starting and was afraid to do anything but when I tried I could feel the strain ease and then on the nights I didn't the strain feels like it flares. I can't manage the one's while kneeling so I sit for them is that ok?
Also another positive - it would appear that I'm a much less stressed person after each session, so much so that my hubby insists on my yoga time and that he puts the kids to bed, sets out the spare room for my yoga and keeps everyone quiet so I can relax.
Thanks for taking the time to look out for all of us.
Gwen xxx

I was finding it stressful to do this every day as I also enjoy to do weightlifting and some cardio in my limited free time. I am now doing the sequency about 2-3 times per week and enjoy that frequency.

One benefit that I did not really figure out until just now (after finishing the sequence ) was improved circulation. I typically have cold hands/feet but as I start doing the postures and typically start feeling warm throughout my body so I now do them with my shirt off. It is now almost 20 minutes after I finished and I am still feeling the warmth in my hands and feet, which would typically be cold otherwise.

How do I know that i'mk doing the postures the right way that was a concern my rheumatologist had

So how do I know I'm doing it right

The two main criteria are:

1. It doesn't hurt. If it hurts, stop.
2. You're utilizing the full range of motion while relaxing anything that doesn't need to be engaged for the movement.

Yes, there are no doubt adjustments a trained eye would help you with, but that's not viable here and doing them "mostly right" is much better than not doing them at all, especially since the movement is only a small portion of the benefit...

With that said, the longer you do this, the more adjustments you'll make. Explore and observe the movements, your mind, your breath, and your body. Adjust, evolve, and experiment. If it's available, doing these poses in a mirror on occasion can be very beneficial.

Should I still attempt this when I am flaring(AS, not Crohns). I try some but there are days I can barley walk. Also, is the a form of yoga you can reccomend while in the pool? Thanks again for this great advice. It does work.